Kicker Trevor Romaine (12) led the Pac-12 in field goal percentage last season, connecting on 16 of 18 attempts. Motoya Nakamura/The Oregonian

A position-by-position preview of what to expect when the Oregon State Beavers open spring practice April 1.

Today: Special teams

Net losses: The Beavers are concerned about who will emerge as a punt
returner, according to head coach Mike Riley, a position open now that
Jordan Poyer has left. OSU must also replace Jordan Jenkins (graduation)
and Malcolm Agnew (transfer), two guys who played on just about every
special team and whose contributions were critical, even if they don't
show up in the statistics.

Blue-chip commodities: Running back Terron Ward proved to be a valuable
kick returner last season (17 returns, 382 yards, 22.5 average) and will
be expected to do the same in 2013. The Beavers also return long
snapper Michael Morovick and punter Keith Kostol, who worked through
some early-season jitters to become reliable. Trevor Romaine
dramatically improved his consistency from 2011, and led the Pac-12 in
field goal percentage last year, connecting on 16 of 18 attempts (88.9
percent).

Speculative properties: Cornerback Jovan Stevenson returned only five
kicks last year, but his longest return of 32 yards was second best on
the team, and he could become key. The punt returner position is up for
grabs, and it's possible that receiver Brandin Cooks becomes a suitable
replacement for Poyer.

Overall portfolio: So long as the Beavers find a punt returner -- and there are some good options -- they should be fine.